Windows 8-based tablets aren't expected to become available to by until mid to late 2012. How far much further will interest in Windows tablets have fallen by then?

Yes, Nokia may be keen on Windows 8, and is developing a tablet based on the new Microsoft OS, but by the time it ships, Apple will have a third-generation iPad out - quite possibly with a 2048 x 1536 display and a quad-core processor - and updated Android tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich and definitely sporting five-core CPUs - Nvidia's Tegra 3, to be precise - will be out.

All that hardware tech will be available to makers of Windows 8 tabs, of course, but they'll be pitching against well-established tablet brands.